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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "% of every payment" (Beware of any scheme that involves depositing checks or money orders or receiving wire transfers in your bank account and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere, for a percentage of 5-15% of the total. Such offers are *always* fraudulent and you will be liable for the entire amount when the checks, money orders or wire transfers turn out to be fraudulent. Any money already forwarded comes out of *your* pocket then. )
  • "money orders " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a company representative scam. This type of job offer scam involves the cashing of fake checks and money orders. It could expose you to losses of tens of thousands of dollars as well as to the risk of criminal prosecution and (in some cases) imprisonment.
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • excelinvestment@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Cech Peter <petercech101@hotmail.co.uk>
Reply-To: excelinvestment@hotmail.com
Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2007 12:27:03 +0100
Subject: WORK FROM HOME


Dear Sir/Madam,

Would you like to work online from home and get paid weekly? EXCEL TEXTILE =
LIMITED needs a book-keeper in the United State and Europe, who will like to =
work
online from home and get paid weekly without leaving or affecting your
present job?
It's just that we presently run a textile and fabrics firm which has its
branches in the UK and West Africa and we need someone to work for the
company as a representative/book keeper in the states. My company produces
various clothing materials, batiks, assorted fabrics and traditional
costume which we have clients we supply weekly in the states.
My clients make payments for our supplies every week in form of cashier
checks, Money orders and Gift checks which are not readily cashable
outside the United States, So we need someone in the States to work as our
representative and assist us in processing the payments from our clients
and i will pay 10% of every payment received.
ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS RECEIVE THIS PAYMENTS FROM OUR CLIENTS IN THE STATES
GET IT CASHED IN YOUR BANK THEN DEDUCT YOUR WEEKLY PAY AND FOWARD THE
BALANCE TO THE COMPANY DOWN HERE VIA WESTERN UNION.
Our payments will be issued out in your name and you get them cashed in
your bank deduct your weekly salary and forward the balance to the company
via WESTERN UNION. Please get in touch with me by

Tel: 00-44-2070600292
Fax: 00-44-2070600153
email: excelinvestment@hotmail.com

to enable us discuss further.
If you are interested, please get back to me by sending the following.

1. Full Name
2.Home Address with city, state and zip code
3.Mobile and Home Phone Number
4.0ccupation
5.Age


In case you are wondering how we get hold of your details, is through the job =
search machine,
www.monster.co.uk. But if you are not interested, just ignore the email and =
we will delight your name from our system.


Yours truly,
Cech Peter

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam